Pimples can be bothersome and are one of the most common skin issues that can arise in people. Although the first rule of pimple care is to ensure that you do not touch the affected area and let it heal on its own, at times, the urge can get a bit much. Not only that, these pus-filled raised bumps can be painful and irritating altogether. This is where a pimple patch comes in. These patches are a new and growing trend in the beauty industry and are actively used as over-the-counter spot treatments.
Understanding How Pimple Patches on Face Work
Pimple patches are thin cut-out sheets with spot treatment gel on one side. This gel is called hydrocolloid and has been proven effective in treating and helping the affected skin heal faster. These patch pimples work best on open, draining, healing pustules, papules, and cysts and help absorb the pus from the wound.
There are other forms of pimple patches, known as microneedle patches. These have been proven effective for acne treatment by helping in reducing hyperpigmentation and reducing acne production as well. If you want to help your acne heal quicker while also avoiding picking on it then you can actively patch pimples. Other than hydrocolloid, you can also find patches infused with other acne-treating ingredients, such as:
- Salicylic acid
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Glycolic acid
- Niacinamide
How to Start Using Patches for Pimple Dots on Face
It’s quite simple to use pimple patches to treat your acne wounds. Mainly, you need to ensure that your skin is clean and dry since the adhesive on these patches does not work on wet skin. Listed below is the step-wise process of how to properly use a pimple patch:
- Clean the area where the pimples are
- Ensure that your hands are also completely clean before you handle the patches to avoid any kind of contamination
- Patches are available in different sizes, you just have to choose a size that fits the wound on your skin best
- Next, you just remove the patch from the sheet carefully, ensuring that you do not touch the area where the gel is
- Directly apply it over your pimple dark spots
- Leave the patch on your skin for the recommended amount of time
- Peel the patch off, dispose of it, and see if you need to reapply a new one
After you’ve kept the patch on for the recommended amount of time, you’ll observe that the wound may have become less painful, smaller, and less inflamed. Different kinds of pimple patches have different times that they need to be applied. Mostly, you need to at least apply such patches for a couple of hours to be effective. Some patches are purposely made to be inconspicuous enough to be worn during the day in public.
Side Effects of A Pimple Patch
A pimple patch usually will not cause any harmful side effects, sometimes, certain reactions can occur in some people, especially those with sensitive skin. These side effects and reactions are as follows:
- Skin irritation:
Sometimes, when you use these patch of pimples on the affected area, it can cause redness or dryness in the area where you applied the patch. - Allergic reaction:
Often, these patches can cause an allergic reaction, especially in people with sensitive skin. The reaction mostly depends on the ingredients used in such patches. For example, the adhesive used on a pimple patch can cause allergic reactions and hyperpigmentation.
Though the side effects of pimple patches are mostly harmless, sometimes people can have extreme allergic reactions to the acne-treating ingredients. The symptoms of this extreme allergic reaction have been given below for your reference:
- Having trouble breathing
- Swelling in your face, eyes, lips, or tongue
- Hives breakout
- Tightness in throat
Alternatives to a Pimple Patch
Pimple patches are an easy and most effective way of treating acne and white spots on forehead; however, there are high chances that they simply do not work for you. Listed below, you can find some alternative acne treatments that can prove to be effective instead:
- Topical treatments (benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and retinoids like adapalene can be used to effectively treat acne spots)
- Oral medicine (Antibiotics, isotretinoin, birth control pills, and spironolactone can all be used for acne, though it is best to consult your doctor first)
- Targeted skincare (Using gentle, non-comedogenic products that are meant for acne-prone skin can help in maintaining the pimple dark spots)
Conclusion
A pimple patch is one of the easiest ways to treat your acne. These patches are available online as well as at a chemist’s shop and are mostly harmless. These are not long-term solutions to your acne problems but can help you heal them faster. To choose the best pimple patch, it’s important to either consider the ingredients used in such patches or to directly consult with a dermatologist for good recommendations.
